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Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Linkedin announced some interesting changes today that has special impact on job seekers.

Linkedin can be a major tool that more and more job seekers use to manage their online reputation.

Many candidates have seen the power that a business network such as Linkedin can bring to their ability to connect with people in large companies, network for jobs, and build an online reputation.

Linkedin has its limitations, but one was removed today.

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Today Linkedin rolled out changes to allow users to move sections of their profile – to rearrange the order that sections are displayed.

This has tremendous implications for job seekers, who view Linkedin as an extension of their resume.

Here’s why it’s important:

This change is important to a graduating student, or newly minted Masters program graduate, who wants to put their education at the top of their resume. Now he can drag the education section, and drop it at the top of his Linkedin profile.

This change is important to the candidate who wants to display her resume, portfolio, or work samples near the top of her resume. She may want to move the applications section near the top of her profile.

This change is important to the job seeker who wants his most recent experience to be listed near the top of his profile, because his job accomplishments are relevant to the next position he seeks.

This change is important to a candidate who is building her subject matter expertise, by blogging. She will want her blog to be the first thing a perspective employer sees, because it describes the subject matter expertise that she’s built outside of the confines of her resume.

This change is important to the job seeker who has built his subject matter expertise by building and participating in communities. This job seeker may want to list his group membership section first, to demonstrate the industry groups he has built or participated in.

This change is important to the job seeker who has built her subject matter expertise through volunteer, association or non-profit work. This candidate will want to list her volunteer/association/non-profit experience at the top of his profile in a summary section.

Here's a video from Linkedin explaining the change:

Here are step by step instructions how to rearrange the sections of your profile:

Click on Profile in the top menu bar then click Edit on the drop down menu.

Make sure you are in Edit. If not, click the Edit tab, so you are able to change your own profile.

Scroll down to the first section below the light blue highlight (you can’t move the light blue section)

Go to the section you want to move, and find the crossed arrows at the top left of the section you’re moving. Linked calls these crossed arrows a "handle".

Left click and hold the left mouse button

Drag the section with your mouse to its new location, and release the left mouse button

Obviously, this new feature has relevancy for more than just job seekers. It makes Linked a more useful tool for sales people, deal makers, entrepreneurs, consultants, and for dozens of other users of Linkedin.

How can you use this new flexibility to help your Online Reputation Management goals?